Monday, November 09, 2015

MFO Paris Series: The Airbnb Apartment

The first thing I did when I got to our Airbnb apartment after freshening up, was to head out to the pharmacy.

On the way to one of the many I visited that afternoon, I happened to pass by the Arc de Triomphe, which was oh, just in the neighborhood.

Crazy good right?!

Our Airbnb apartment was in the 8th arrondissement, a jewel box of a place (read as tiny but pretty, haha) that was clean, bright, airy and complete with all the comforts a traveler would need - washer/dryer, iron, ironing board, extra towels, hair dryer, etc. Our host even had a bottle of wine for us. I immediately felt right at home. Haha.

I loved that while the apartment was contemporary in look and feel, the floors were just as I would expect from Parisian apartments - with those classic chevron wood patterns.

Another plus? I had a full length mirror in my room, that was perfect for my outfit shots. Heehee.

This was the view from my first floor room. I lavettt!

Our apartment was right on Rue Washington, flanked by Avenue des Champs-Élysées on one end, and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré on the other end. Talk about Shopping Temptation Central.

We didn't have an espresso machine in the apartment, but we would get our coffee at the nearby Paul boulangerie, where we would sit outside and watch the early risers walk this scenic stretch of a sidewalk.

We had front row views of Champs-Élysées. Amazing how major this avenue is, but the traffic is nothing like ours here in Manila.

I think we only spent €200 a night for our apartment, which is extremely reasonable considering how well-equipped it is, and of course, the location can't be beat. Gotta love Airbnb. There's nothing like being in Paris and living like a local, in one of the best districts too.

Speaking of which, Airbnb has come up with a convenient mobile app that, through Smart, will now bring the world at the fingertips of Filipino travelers who are in search of a home away from home as well as an immersive travel experience. Read on to find out more:The Smart x Airbnb Partnership

“A global pioneer in accommodations, Airbnb has revolutionized the way travelers search and book a suitable place to spend their getaways wherever they are headed around the world. It shows how a meaningful mobile innovation can shake things up and enrich the lives of people – and is very much aligned with our vision of a mobile-empowered lifestyle,” said Ariel Fermin, EVP and Head of Consumer Business at Smart.

To celebrate the groundbreaking partnership, all Smart Prepaid, Smart Postpaid and Smart Bro subscribers may enjoy a P2500 discount for a minimum of P8,000 booking at any Airbnb-listed accommodation here and abroad.

Smart subscribers simply have to text SMARTAIRBNB to 2855 for FREE to receive the unique promo code that they can use to activate the discount whenever they complete their Airbnb booking.

The discount is limited to one booking per registered Philippine Airbnb user, but is open to all past and first-time bookers. Booking period us until March 31, 2016 with travel period until December 2016. For more details visit the Smart Airbnb page, and visit www.airbnb.com/smart to book.

Oh, and while in Paris, I did Smart Surf Abroad, which guarantees no bill shock on data roaming. I was on Waze, Instagram, Whats App, Viber, checking my emails and all that, the entire day, for 10 days and I only paid Php5,500 on data roaming charges.

Yes, I lived a pretty Smart Life while in Paris, staying in an Airbnb apartment and staying connected via Smart Surf Abroad. Too bad we missed out on this Smart x Airbnb discount offer, but there's plenty of time to use this for the next trip. Woohoo!